The Voice and the Dancer
by Fan Of Games
Summary: Tiki and Olivia have known each other for a while, but they haven't really been true friends since they were more like colleagues in the same army. That will change when they both learn that sometimes the best of friends are made in awkward circumstances. -A support conversation between Tiki and Olivia.-
1. C Support

_C Support_

Dusk. The time of day when light transitioned to dark as if a curtain was closing over the theater stage she was visualizing herself on. Being in the fantasy land she found herself in, Olivia couldn't help but smile as she gazed upon a make-believe audience cheering her on while she continued to dance across the stage like a butterfly. And once her feet stopped moving, her hands graceful at her sides, the dancer bowed to show her gratitude while being met with a powerful round of applause. Olivia's head perked up to show a wide grin spreading across her face, beaming as she laughed happily at how well she'd performed.

"Thank you very much!" she shouted to the audience and took another bow. "It's been a pleasure dancing for you all!"

Olivia stood upright again and looked on as they all began to beg for an encore. They wanted more. Not one to leave the crowd empty-handed, she complied with their wishes and started to dance once more.

But then everything went dark. Olivia nearly stumbled when she suddenly froze, peering out at the figures ahead of her. She began to shiver nervously, pondering whether it was the best idea to keep going. This would've been easy had she not been so shy, but the feeling of so many people watching her was beginning to have an adverse effect on Olivia's self-esteem.

Her face turned red out of embarrassment as her heart beat uncontrollably. It was getting to be too much…

Until she popped that awful daydream to prevent it from progressing any further in the direction it had been going.

"Well, so much for daydreaming about my theater," Olivia sighed, resting her head in both hands while perched upon several crates by the dining area where the army was currently eating. "Guess I really need to think through how I want to go about making it come true," she said, taking the small satchel of her savings from the pouch at her side. Olivia tossed it in the air several times before returning her satchel where it belonged—in the pouch so she wouldn't lose those precious coins—either accidently or to the avaricious merchant, Anna.

Hopping down from where she was seated, Olivia proceeded to cross through the camp in search of a spot where she could have some peace of mind. Sitting near the other soldiers and lieutenants as they ate didn't exactly help achieve that since they were busy talking to one another.

One of the louder groups consisted of Yarne, Gangrel, Vaike, Basilio, Henry, and other soldiers. Yarne in particular was enjoying himself with his new friends, especially since he discovered the courage within him to participate in the heat of battle. As for Gangrel, the former Mad King of Plegia earned the army's trust following the battle against Zanth.

As she weaved through the tents one by one, Olivia finally arrived at a small clearing located just on the outskirts of where the army was encamped with a pretty stream flowing by—a perfect spot for some much needed nest. Still somewhat exhausted by a skirmish she participated in earlier that day, Olivia stretched her arms up in the air and yawned. Hopefully she wouldn't be disturbed by anyone while taking in the beautiful scenery.

Though it appeared somebody else had the same idea and was still currently residing at the base of a tree.

Coming around it, Olivia was somewhat surprised to find Tiki just lying there in a deep sleep. The centuries-old Manakete certainly looked very peaceful as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took.

"Oh, L-lady Tiki…" Olivia whispered shyly, realizing this was the first time she'd been this close to the Voice of Naga. "I-I'm s-sorry, I-I didn't know you were here," she stuttered, her voice gradually becoming shaky. "I-I'll leave you to your rest, if you'll please excuse me."

"N…ay…" the ancient Manakete mumbled softly in her sleep.

"Hm?" Slightly perplexed, Olivia kneeled down to better hear what Tiki was saying.

"Don't go…Mar-Mar…stay…with me…"

Ah, so that was what she'd been dreaming of—precious moments with the Hero King, Marth. Olivia knew the story well and was aware of the Exalt's ancestry to him. The whole royal family of Ylisse was descended from Marth and had been in charge of the Halidom ever since Grima was first put to sleep. Tiki must've been grateful for the chance to know him during her long life while they fought against the Fell Dragon together. Unfortunately, a major downside to living for so long was watching precious loved ones die along the way.

Olivia felt really sorry for Tiki and she didn't want her to feel lonely. "O-okay, if that's what you want," she said softly, deciding to sit down quietly by the Voice while she slept. "I'll be sure not to wake you, okay?" Olivia inquired, figuring it wouldn't be disrespectful as long as she didn't accidently wake her up.

A small smile spread across the Manakete's face. "Thank you…Mar-Mar."

Olivia smiled too, glad to be of some help to someone in need of her—even if that person would accept aid like this from just about anyone. "You're welcome, Lady Tiki."

Turning to watch the moon just over the horizon, she took a deep breath and gazed upon its beauty until her peace of mind was suddenly interrupted when Tiki—for whatever odd reason—turned over in her sleep and put her head on Olivia's lap. It happened so quickly that the dancer was completely caught by surprise.

"L-Lady Tiki…?"

She didn't get an answer at first; at least, not a verbal one since Tiki was beaming.

"Oh Mar-Mar…" the sleeping Manakete blushed as she said the cute nickname she'd given him in a loving tone. "You're…so warm…Caeda is nice…but I can be…better than her…" She giggled in her sleep, no doubt fighting over Marth with this other legendary heroine they must've known. She seemed jealous of Caeda because she must've been the girl Marth fell in love with. "How…about it? Care…to spend…a whole day…with me?"

At this moment Tiki's eyes slowly flickered open as she looked up to see the face of her charming Hero King…

…only to face reality and see Olivia staring down at her. The dancer would've said something, but whatever those words were was a mystery because…

"BWARRGH!"

Tiki shrieked and quickly pulled away from Olivia, leaning against the tree and breathing deeply. Each breath came out jagged and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest with both arms clenched to it, just as the Manakete's whole face turned bright red.

It seemed even the Voice wasn't safe from embarrassing situations like this one. If that was the case, one could only imagine what her life would be like if this was an everyday thing.

Though Olivia had been slightly startled by Tiki's sudden outburst, she managed to calm herself before reaching a hand out for her shoulder until she was suddenly stopped.

"I-I-I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry, Olivia!" Tiki cried out as she whipped towards her to apologize. Her voice was extremely shaky when she spoke; obviously this experience completely unnerved the poor girl since she was stuttering all of her words badly. "I-I-I d-d-didn't m-m-mean t-t-to! I-I-It w-w-was a-a-an a-a-accident, I-I-I s-s-swear!"

"Lady Tiki, it's—" Olivia started to speak in an attempt to calm the flustered Manakete down, but was interrupted again when Tiki grabbed her hands.

"P-p-please f-f-forgive m-m-me, I-I-I'm r-r-really, r-r-really, R-R-REALLY s-s-sorry!"

Again she opened her mouth to speak, but Tiki squeaked and drew away again upon realizing that she had actually _seized_ the hands of a _girl_ she mistook for the man she loved. "O-Oh gods, h-how embarrassing…" she said, turning away from the dancer while putting her head in her hands. Tiki struggled to make eye contact again and evidently had a difficult time doing so since her thoughts turned into scrambled jargon that made no sense, but she eventually succeeded in accomplishing that. "P-please understand, Olivia, I-I was unaware of m-my actions! I-I truly didn't mean t-to do what I-I did! I-It just happened!"

Olivia knew from experience that words were the hardest part, though the Manakete somewhat surprised her when she miraculously got those right immediately despite her timid stuttering. So it was only through experience from being in embarrassing situations herself that enabled her to feel the same way. Without any effort, she simply raised her hand up and smiled cheerfully to dismiss Tiki's fear. "O-oh, don't worry about it, Lady Tiki, it's quite alright. I understand exactly where you're coming from since it happens to me a lot too."

"R-really…?" Tiki whispered meekly, still embarrassed over what she just did. Perhaps this was actually the first time in her life she'd been this flustered. "I-is that s-so…?"

Olivia smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course, Lady Tiki," she replied, "I'm always getting in these sorts of situations—okay, so maybe not like this instance—but I do know how you feel. I mean, you really did remind me of myself just now."

Tiki's eyes widened slightly when she realized how uncomfortable she must've made Olivia feel by imitating how she always reacted, even though it was unintentional. "O-oh my…" she stuttered, her blush toning down slightly, "I-I'm so, so s-sorry, Olivia. I-I didn't think—"

"U-uh, n-no," Olivia panicked a little as she tried to reassure her that she didn't mean anything by the comment, making sure to smile even if it was sheepish. "I-it's quite alright, I-I know you didn't mean to offend me—I-I mean you didn't do anything wrong." She took a deep breath and hung her head in defeat. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm screwing up like I always do."

"Olivia, I—"

"Don't worry about me, Lady Tiki, I'm fine," Olivia said, looking up at the Manakete again to show her that she was still smiling sheepishly. "I know I'm not very good at this kind of stuff, b-but I've gotten used to it, really."

Tiki smiled softly, somewhat relieved that this little incident didn't blow out of proportion. "I-I see; thank you, Olivia." She looked a lot calmer now, which was different from moments ago.

"You're very welcome, Lady Tiki," Olivia smiled more sincerely than sheepish.

"A-ah, would you please not speak to me so formally, Olivia?" Tiki tipped her head down and blushed again. "I-it's embarrassing really. I-I mean, I joined this army as a friend and comrade, so…u-um, I-I don't want to impose formalities on any of you s-since I-I'd rather be friends." She made eye contact with Olivia again, but it was a struggle this time since she was feeling very shy. "Unless…y-you don't want to…?" Tiki swallowed nervously, unaware of this action on her part. Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but the Voice interrupted her. "Y-you don't have to, I-I don't want t-to force you or anything…"

"No, I'd love to be your friend, Tiki."

"O-oh, alright," Tiki sounded a little surprised, but still happily accepted her friendship. She smiled again, but this time it was sincere like Olivia's. "Thank you, Olivia."

"You're welcome, Tiki."

"By the way, Olivia," Tiki's expression changed from its quick moment of happiness back to her shyness. "Y-you won't tell anyone what happened, w-will you?"

Olivia smiled. "Don't worry, my lips are tightly sealed."

Tiki closed her eyes and sighed in relief as she leaned against the tree. "Thank goodness. I don't want to imagine how everyone would react if they heard of what I did."

"They won't hear because it never happened," Olivia said with a wink.

"Right," Tiki agreed as she winked back, "this incident never happened."

…

**Despite having important things to do, I actually managed get this short piece done. I honestly thought I might have to write poems like a while back, but this proved to be easy once I started this. I'll continue working on this little project since it's only going to be three chapters long and they're all going to be pretty short, so I think I've got time to write this.**

**Tiki and Olivia have always been two of my favorite characters in Fire Emblem: Awakening. Tiki is quite an interesting asset to the game because she was alive in Marth's time and has acquired life experience while growing into a fine young lady. As for Olivia, I think she's the best dancer throughout the whole franchise since she's the first one to use swords in combat and second seals to change classes. That makes her an incredible asset to the game unlike the dancers from past Fire Emblem installations.**

**Personally, I feel this story should've been an in-game support conversation since Tiki and Olivia go well together in my opinion. Since they weren't able to do that, I decided to write this story about their interaction together as friends. Their friendship will progress through the regular support levels as in the game—C, B, and A—so you'll be seeing two additional chapters following this one. And as I said above, all three are short so as to make the story feel like an actual support conversation.**

**I hope you like reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem; it's owned by Nintendo.**


	2. B Support

**Some of you noticed that I've mentioned how Marth fought against Grima with Tiki, an event which never actually happened because the dragon was Medeus. You're correct, I made the exact same observation as you when I played the game. However, I assume that people changed their view of the Shadow Dragon somewhere between Marth's victory over Medeus and the establishment of new nations we see in Awakening. This seems to make sense because the characters associate Marth with Grima, so I suspect the story of his campaign against Medeus altered over time, making the Shadow Dragon become the Fell Dragon.**

**It's a similar concept in history since legends passed down through the ages change over time because new generations establish new ways to tell stories. By doing this, new interpretations of these legends emerge among society and became accepted because older concepts within the tales have been forgotten over countless generations.**

**That's why I believe Medeus and Grima are one and the same, though I can see how they'd be two different entities if gamers choose to play as the female avatar because the Fell Dragon would be female too since the avatar is a human representation of Grima.**

**Hopefully that should clarify this point the game makes as to the legend involving Marth and Medeus/Grima.**

…

_B Support_

Things were quiet. Too quiet.

Well, the camp was still bustling as they were heading out, but aside from that a certain Swordmaster was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she was looking for a particular individual elsewhere, maybe on the other side of where they were encamped.

Regardless, Olivia didn't think about it too much since her mind was focused on the mission at hand. A small trading caravan was heading into a village several miles around the base of a nearby mountain and Olivia volunteered to help guard it along with Severa, Panne, Libra, and Kellam. Anna tagged along as well since her family knew the merchants, so she decided to help them sell some merchandise and earn a profit for herself in the process.

In total, there were six lieutenants protecting the caravan from bandits, Valmese soldiers, and Risen along the road, plus some soldiers and sellswords to back them up. Olivia couldn't understand why the traders needed their help when they already had a professional mercenary force loyal to the guild they represented in Rosanne. However, Virion financed the guild's establishment prior to Walhart's invasion of his country and Gregor knew the sellswords since he worked with them several times in the past. The two of them spoke with Chrom about it and he agreed to offer support which the merchants and mercenaries alike welcomed gladly because it provided them with a window of opportunity to establish a branch of their guild in Ylisse.

That was how Olivia learned of the mission and she volunteered for it because she wanted to help her friends, though that wasn't the only reason she wanted to go. Though to be clear, it was more like she _had_ to go because a certain someone wanted to escape the overprotective gaze of another particular somebody who just so happened to be a Swordmaster.

She smiled as soon as the coast was clear and the camp was out of sight. It was perfect; the Swordmaster wouldn't find the individual she was searching for…because that person was no longer in camp anymore.

Making sure there was enough room for her guest to emerge from the hay she'd been hiding in, Olivia whipped her head around to ensure the others weren't looking in their direction. It would be bad if the two of them were discovered, especially if Severa found them since she'd be livid.

Relieved to find that everyone else was closer to the head of the caravan, Olivia turned back to the pile of hay she'd been sitting in with the guest she brought along for the ride and whispered softly so everyone else wouldn't hear her. "Okay, coast is clear; you can come out now."

There was a bit of movement within the hay which expanded somewhat as a familiar Manakete emerged from the space she'd been concealed in for the past hour and took a deep breath. "Thank Naga our plan worked," she sighed in relief while brushing hay off her clothes. "I was beginning to think Say'ri also chose to undergo the mission. Good thing she didn't, lest she discover my presence here."

"Well, it's either that or suffocate," Olivia remarked, picking bits of hay from Tiki's hair and tossing them aside. "When we formulated this little operation I said to come out of hiding if you needed to breathe. You're a highly valued member of this army, so we can't have you dying on us anytime soon."

Tiki nodded. "Point taken, Olivia, but I'd rather risk suffocation than having Say'ri find me stowing away in this caravan," she said while brushing her hair to smooth it out. "Honestly, she treats me more like a doll than a living being. Her intentions are good, but the method contradicts that since I feel as if I'm a prisoner instead of the 'noble, sacred Voice of Naga' people know me as. I've tried speaking with her about this, but she never listens to me, which is why I'm forced to sneak away from her like this just so I can get some freedom to myself."

Olivia couldn't help but giggle. "At least she's not calling you exotic like Anna is. Whatever Say'ri wishes of you is probably better than anything she has planned for you."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Anna anymore," Tiki smiled, politely brushing off the remark with a slight wave of her hand. "She and I have a sort of…understanding, if you get the meaning."

Despite being a shy girl without a shred of evil in her heart and soul, Olivia couldn't help but smirk mischievously when she heard Tiki's ominous pause. Perhaps it was because of the scary stories she learned during her travels prior to being rescued by Basilio and in the East Khan's court; those tales really did have some sort of strange influence over her. "Ahhh, what did she do this time? Surely not prepare another speech for you give in public, right?"

"She didn't have to because I already took care of it," Tiki closed her eyes and shrugged, shaking her head with a mischievous smirk of her own.

"How?"

Tiki's smirk turned into a wicked grin and she pretended to bare fangs towards Olivia. "I threatened to eat her…!" she said with dramatic effect.

"Oh, my! How terrifying!"

The dancer tried to hold back a snort, but burst out laughing with the Voice since they couldn't hold their amusement in much longer.

"Oh, Tiki, that was so hilarious!" Olivia complimented the Voice on her acting as they fell back in the hay. "You really have the talent to be a storyteller! I'm surprised at how good you are!"

"Thanks!" Tiki laughed, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news for others even when I am the bad news, but sometimes I just can't help myself!"

"Yeah, you were great!" Olivia said, accepting one of two apples the Manakete packed away in her pouch for the trip. "That scary face you made was to die for! I wish I had your ability at acting! It would really help with my dancing!"

"Yes, that reminds me," Tiki stated after taking a bite of her apple, "I wanted to ask something of you, Olivia."

"Yes," the dancer spoke up after chewing another piece of hers, "what would you like?"

"Your dancing is truly marvelous," the Voice complimented as she turned to her friend. "I enjoy the inspiration it has on myself and others in combat. It is quite an invigorating experience."

Olivia smiled, apparently not feeling shy this time unlike all the other times when people praised her dancing. Those other occasions made her nervous, but compliments from her new Manakete friend were warmly welcomed. Spending time with Tiki had become her favorite pastime, which was why she never felt shy around her. It was amazing how close they became in the span of about a week since the incident that never happened. Some of the other lieutenants and soldiers even went so far as to refer to them as sisters in arms, which was a nice feeling now that Olivia thought about it since sharing a sort of sisterly bond with Tiki was pleasant.

"Why, thank you, Tiki. Such praise means a lot to me," she said and then realized what kind of favor Tiki was asking her for. "Ah, you want me to teach you how to dance?"

Tiki broke eye contact with Olivia and blushed, shyly touching the tips of her fingers together. "W-well, I-I mean if you can't, then I-I don't mind. I-I wouldn't want to impose on you."

"No, it's quite alright, Tiki," Olivia reassured her, "I can teach you, but I just want you to know that I may not be very good at it since I've never showed anyone how to dance before."

"S-so it'll be difficult, but possible?"

Olivia nodded to confirm the Manakete's inquiry. "Yes, in fact you'll be the first student I've ever taken on," she said with a smile as she closed her eyes. "My own teacher back in Ferox would be thrilled to hear that I've had the honor of teaching the Voice of Naga how to dance."

"Wow…" Tiki marveled at this once in a lifetime achievement. "I bet he'll be so proud to hear that his student has become a teacher herself."

"Indeed," Olivia agreed, "he's the best dance teacher in all of Ferox. People from all over the world flock to him to learn the beauty of dance. I may not have started my lessons with him since I already had some fundamental knowledge, but he helped me progress further than I would have on my own."

"And you'll put what he taught you into practice when you're teaching me?" Tiki inquired.

"Certainly," Olivia replied, "I've memorized his method of teaching quite well, so it should be somewhat easy for me to take up the cause. Who knows, perhaps the first attempt will go a lot smoother than I imagine it."

"Well then, here's to an aspiring teacher," Tiki toasted with the apple by holding it up.

Olivia did the same. "And here's to an aspiring dancer."

"And here's to a couple of lazy bums just sitting on their asses and not doing any work!"

Suddenly Tiki and Olivia screamed in terror when Severa gave them a horrible fright. They jolted to their feet and nearly lost their balance when a bump in the road almost caused them to fall out of the cart with the half-eaten apples they dropped. The two of them turned very pale as they wrapped their arms around each other while trembling uncontrollably.

"Well, well, well…look what we have here," Severa scolded, pointing an accusatory finger right in Tiki's face. "A stowaway in the caravan," she whipped her finger to Olivia's face, "and her accomplice, both of whom happen to be from OUR camp!"

"W-w-wait! S-S-Severa, I-I-I can explain, I—" Olivia tried to protest, fearfully holding her hands up defensively after letting go of Tiki. Unfortunately, whatever explanation she tried to present was immediately shot down by Cordelia's bad tempered daughter.

"No, don't bother; don't even think about it. I already can tell you're going to make excuses when you completely disobeyed MY orders. When Chrom placed me in charge of this mission, I specifically told all the other lieutenants I'd selected not bring anyone else with them save for some soldiers so our army wouldn't be undermanned. And here I find you, Olivia, talking with Tiki when the Voice was CLEARLY not authorized to participate in THIS MISSION."

"B-b-but, S-S-Severa, please listen to us!" Tiki attempted to protest despite it being in vain since this was Severa they were pleading with. "I-I-It's not what you think, I—"

"Can it! I don't give a damn what you have to say because you weren't even supposed to come with us! Don't think you can beg me for mercy just because you're the Voice! I'm the captain here, and what I say goes! Do I make myself clear?!"

Tiki and Olivia hung their heads in shameful defeat. "Yes, Severa," they replied in unison.

"And one more thing," Severa stated before she turned to get back on her horse. "When we return to camp, I'm informing Chrom AND Say'ri of this little incident PRONTO."

"N-n-no, S-S-Severa, please don't!" Olivia squeaked timidly. "Th-that's not necessary!"

"Y-y-yes," Tiki agreed, "they don't need to know! W-w-we promise to work hard, honest!"

"THEN GET TO WORK THIS INSTANT!" Severa screamed at the top of her lungs, startling the poor girls further. "AND I'M STILL TELLING THEM BECAUSE I'M NOT TOLERATING DISREPSECT TOWARDS MY ORDERS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!

By this point Tiki and Olivia were hunched over, looking very miserable as tears poured out of their eyes like waterfalls. "Yes, Severa…" was all they could utter, and it was a painful acknowledgement to make since they'd be a lot of trouble back at camp. Chrom and Say'ri were certainly going to be very livid with them when they discovered what happened. And there was nothing Tiki and Olivia could do about it except hope they wouldn't be as angry as they expected them to be. At least they hoped those two weren't scarier than Severa.

…

**And that does it for Tiki and Olivia's B level support. Hopefully you all enjoyed Severa directing her rage at them which made for some awesome comedy relief. As for that little meeting with Say'ri and Chrom…well, I'll let you guys imagine how that turns out.**


	3. A Support

**NNAA11: Wow, that's some pretty interesting information you've pointed out. I didn't know there was a dancer prior to Olivia who wielded swords because I didn't play all of the Fire Emblem games that came out. I don't know much Japanese or how to read the language, which is why I rely on the installments of the series that are in English. Because of this, the only dancers I know of are Ninian, Tethys, and Olivia. You're certainly a more knowledgeable fan of the franchise since you've played more games than I have.**

** The facts you provided about Medeus/Grima are also quite informative. From this we can perceive that the two dragons might be from the same tribe, but when did Grima first appear? If he/she was around at the same time as Medeus then it would mean that they're two different dragons. If the Fell Dragon was present following the Shadow Dragon's defeat, we might say that both of them are still different because Grima was born after Marth slew Medeus. However, there's also the possibility that Medeus somehow evolved into Grima over time after his death, meaning that what I said in B Support might be applicable to this scenario. Another possibility is the Fell Dragon being a sort of shadow of the Shadow Dragon, hence the title Medeus is known by; according to this theory, both dragons are still different even though one of them was a product of the other. **

**I realize this is all speculation, but the official word feels pretty vague to me which is why I provided a brief, but abstract explanation as to the nature and origins of the dragons. As this is the final support of **_The Voice and the Dancer_**, I won't be able to provide further speculation unless I take my ideas to the forums and speak about them there if I actually have something to say. If you and anyone else interested wants to discuss this in more detail, go to the forums find a place where you can talk about it; or just create a new topic about it.**

…

Somewhere in the mountains where the army was encamped was an area with few trees and scattered rocks all over the place, save for a space big enough for a certain activity that would be taking place there. A river flowed just by it from Rosanne to Chon'sin that was full of fresh drinking water because it had been blessed by Naga herself centuries ago. Hardly any wildlife inhabited the surrounding region because the Valmese army cut down an entire copse to process the wood into handles for their weapons. It used to flourish, but now became a ruin devoid of any light except for the river.

It was here where an intrepid dancer would begin her lessons taught by a master whose shy modesty made her something of a saint among the dancing world—at least, in the student's opinion. However, there was no question that her teacher was the best dancer she knew; even the teacher's son couldn't compare to her since he was more skilled with swords and axes than with the art of dance. Even so, that boy knew some techniques he could pass on to her if she hadn't been so shy herself when it came to asking him; though she didn't inquire it of him to begin with since she went with the girl with whom she shared a comfortable friendship for weeks now.

The two of them had come quite far since their first actual meeting—which never happened according to them so that nobody else would ever discover how their first conversation went. Several combat missions including the caravan job popped up every now and then, and they participated in every one of those while forging a bond that would last a lifetime. According to the camp, these two turned into quite the duo on the battlefield by wielding deadly breath attacks and dancing for others to be inspired to fight just as hard. Their strong friendship had thus earned them the shared title of "the Voice and the Dancer", meaning their legacy would be a song bards would sing of two heroines who won battles through inspiration and dance.

But now wasn't the time to focus on the future, despite however important it was. It was time for the Voice to learn how to dance.

"Alright, Tiki, here we are," Olivia said as she presented the spot she'd selected for the first lesson. "It's a secluded area that shall afford us a bit of privacy, yet at the same time we won't be too far from camp in case of a surprise attack."

"Ah," the Manakete gazed upon the somewhat decrepit scenery in awe, "a location that is practical in both respects. And the river even has a scent of Naga's power."

"Indeed," Olivia nodded in agreement, "my teacher always said private tutoring is best done when the settings are designed to make students feel more comfortable than in public lessons. That's why I've looked into this region and did a little research on it so learning can be better achieved. Under these circumstances, the transition from shyness to confidence will contribute greatly to students' progress as they learn how to dance well."

"Thank you, Olivia," Tiki smiled warmly as she turned to her best friend, "I appreciate everything you've done for me, including all of this." She held her arms out as a gesture indicating that she was referring to the conditions surrounding them. "Though, I must humbly request that privacy and safety are given stronger emphasis. Comfort is a welcome boon, but there will occasions when that can't be achieved."

"Certainly, if those are the terms you wish to set, you're free to make them," Olivia replied. "After all, private lessons emphasize a student's needs more strongly than public lessons in which teachers set required expectations for their pupils. Now, shall we begin your first lesson, Tiki?"

Tiki smiled and nodded in determination. "Yes, I'm very much looking forward to it."

…

And so, in just a couple of hours Tiki learned the fundamentals of dancing and mastered several basics. It was rather easy since she watched Olivia dance during the battles they fought in together and memorized the movements, making for an easier learning experience that affected how the lesson was taught. Although Tiki was afraid to dance prior to her friendship with Olivia because she had two left feet and wasn't confident enough to learn how to dance properly, she actually discovered it was fun and relatively simple. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the steps were easy to follow, but mostly because she had a great teacher.

Olivia couldn't help but smile as they finished for the day. "Wow, that was amazing, Tiki!" she happily applauded her new student. "You've covered a lot of ground in just this first session. I'm impressed at how well you learn."

Tiki giggled sheepishly and blushed, raising a hand up to scratch the back of her neck. "Thanks, but I couldn't do it on my own. The amount of effort I put in would be nothing without you to teach me." She gave a shy bow as thanks for the lesson. "Honestly, I wouldn't really know what to do with my spare time once this war is over, aside from visiting people on occasion."

"I think a better idea is to think about what you want to do with them with that time," Olivia stated as she sat on a rock and stretched her arms up in the air before inviting Tiki to join her. "Now that you've taken up dancing, you can partake in festivals and parties."

Tiki smiled softly, half sincere and half sheepish still. "O-oh, you really think so, Olivia?" she inquired nervously. "T-truthfully I don't think I'm that good compared to you, so it may be some time before I-I can, u-um…work up the courage to dance with so many people."

"But you are a good dancer, Tiki," Olivia said confidently as she wrapped her arm around the Manakete's shoulder. "You've already got some of the basic stuff down pat and are well on your way to mastering the rest. It should be moderately easy for you to comprehend more complex forms of dance. Though I do understand where you're coming from since I get scared too when dancing in a crowd."

Tiki smiled spread a little wider and became more of a sincere one than the sheepish grin she had on a moment ago. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one in this army who feels this way."

"I couldn't agree more, Tiki," Olivia said as the Voice gave her a friendly hug while returning the gesture. "You're the best friend and student I could ever ask for."

"And you're the best friend and teacher I could ever ask for," Tiki said, mimicking the last statement the dancer had said somewhat so it would better fit the moment.

"Milady!" Say'ri called, slightly startling the two best friends out of their precious bonding time together. "Milady, where are you?! Where have you gone this time?!"

The girls just sighed before turning to look at one another with a smile on their faces.

"Well, Olivia, I guess it's time for us to return to camp before Say'ri yells at us again."

"Yeah, I do believe you're right, Tiki. Hopefully she won't scold us for spending time alone without her permission like last time."

And with that said, Tiki and Olivia stood up to head back hand in hand. The lesson may have ended, but the Voice and the Dancer would continue to dance together in the bards' tales.

…

**And so ends the tale of the Voice and the Dancer, at least as far as these support conversations are concerned. I enjoyed writing about their bond and hopefully you guys enjoyed reading it. Please do take the time to review if you want to; it means a lot having my work acknowledged, especially since the stories I've written in the past haven't received too many reviews. I do have plans for two other Fire Emblem stories and I'd like to continue Season of Autumn, so be sure to look out for updates on that and new F.E. content if possible.**


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